Padma Lakshmi opened up for Playboy magazine and revealed her unknown naughty side for the December 2012 issue.

The India-born reality star and current "Top Chef: Seattle" host posed in lingerie and lace for two of several images that the magazine released.

In the Playboy interview, the 42-year-old shared her take on sex, why she is comfortable with her body, the kind of guy she likes to date and addressed the criticism she received for her May to December marriage to "Satanic Verses" author Salman Rushdie, who is 20 years her senior.

The former model revealed what it takes to land her in bed. "It's not a technical skill," said Lakshmi. "If my mind is engaged, my body will follow."

It wasn't easy for the reality star to pose nude in front of a camera as it required persistence from a legendary fashion photographer. "It was hard posing nude for the first time," she admitted. "Yes, it was. In fact, I canceled on Helmut Newton at first. And no one ever canceled on Helmut. I got cold feet. He called to book me again six or seven weeks later. This time he said it wasn't going to be nude-just topless. He said I could put my hair in front, which I did."

Thanks to her mother, the "Top Chef" judge instilled the body confidence required to become a successful model and television star. "My mother instilled a really healthy attitude about my body. She taught me that the female form is one of the most beautiful, natural shapes on earth."

The single mother of one isn't as high maintenance as her fans might assume. Lakshmi also told Playboy the requirements she needs to 'be attracted to someone.' "I am like a guy," she confessed."Honestly, I'm like a truck driver trapped in this body. I don't want to be your best friend. I don't expect you to give me a birthday card or send me flowers. I don't need fancy trips. You could take me across the street. Don't get me wrong. That stuff's nice, but I am a physical and sensual person. I love to be held. I love massages. I'm just not a Hallmark kind of gal."

In case her male fans were wondering the qualities she seeks in a potential mate, she had this to say:  "I want someone who's a challenging adversary, who can tease me and get away with it, who can flirt and make me think and laugh and blush. But there's an art to that. You either have it or you don't."

Lakshmi finally addressed the panned criticism she received during her three year marriage to Salman Rushdie. She admitted it was "tiring."

"Comments like that came out of ignorance," she said about the negative feedback. "If you saw us together you would know exactly why we were together. Now there is somebody who has great wit and is a great flirt. I don't regret a day I spent with Salman, but it was tiring. He has a big life, and it only got bigger when we were together. I'm happy to have stood next to him holding his hand, but we were in very different parts of our lives."

Playboy's December 2012 issue featuring Lakshmi hits newsstands on Tuesday, Nov. 20.